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Creating traditions in the blended family promote unity and a sense of belonging.
Diane Greene
According to the most recent data, 16% of children live in what the Census Bureau calls “blended families” – a household with a stepfather, half-sibling, or half-sibling. This proportion has remained stable since the early 1990s when reliable data first became available. At that time, 15% of children lived in mixed families. In total, about 8% live with a stepfather, while 12% live with half or half-siblings.
Spending holidays with your family successfully is quite a challenge but when you have to deal with blended family vacations the possible threats and troubles may double.
To prevent any undesirable outcomes and spend your holidays with pleasure, it is necessary to prepare well and count all the peculiarities of your situation. Check out the following traveling tips to have a great vacation with your blended family.
- Prepare Everyone
If you were more interested in how long does it take to get divorced in Florida than strengthening the bonds in your new family, a blended family vacation is a perfect idea to improve the situation. But you cannot baffle your dear ones with the idea and expect everything to work like a clock. Instead, prepare everyone to have a great time together.
Talk to your kids first. Discover whether they are comfortable traveling with their new parents and siblings. Discuss each other’s expectations and preferences. Highlight how important it is for you to spend time together and nurture trustworthy relationships.
Talk to your partner. Organize a parenting 101 discussion for them. So they know how to behave with your kids, look after them, and have fun together. Explain your views on family travel and listen to their points.
Prepare yourself. Be open to opportunities and review the tips for blended families to adjust your expectations appropriately. This way you will protect your mental and physical health from any negative impacts and manage to organize a memorable holiday for your blended family.
- Get Your Family Involved
Turbulence and a high-conflict atmosphere is often definition reconstituted family. You can use the vacation to improve your relationships and strengthen your family. And it is not only about spending your leisure time together but cooperation on holiday preparation as well.
If you manage to involve everyone in preparing for a journey, you will train their teamwork and reach better results in the end. Here is a simple scheme you may follow:
- Discuss the idea of a family vacation with your spouse.
- Make announcements to the kids and give them homework on traveling ideas.
- Organize a family meeting to discuss the ideas and preferences of every family member.
- Make sure you include a bit of everyone’s vision in your travel plan.
- Share responsibilities and assign tasks.
- Manage the preparation process by checking out the progress of the tasks.
- Travel with pleasure.
As long as every family member commits efficiently, they will be interested in your holidays to be successful. Your children will develop organizational skills and teamwork, and your family will grow closer as a result.
- Be Flexible
Remember that you can’t just create a travel plan and expect to strictly follow it. Things don’t work like this when you travel with kids, more when you have children from a blended family. It is necessary to clear out your expectations before you go on a holiday together, but you should lower them from the very beginning so as not to get disappointed later.
Instead, practice a positive attitude to all experiences while traveling. Be open to every opportunity you get even if it wasn’t on your list. And don’t try to complete any lists at all. You can use any ideas you prepare for the holidays, but don’t get sad or angry when you skip some points in the end.
Plus, prepare mentally and physically for any mishaps on the go by learning holiday survival tips beforehand. If you are ready that things are not going to be perfect but you will enjoy your vacations anyway, the positive aftermath is guaranteed.
- Define the Budget
You cannot drain the family budget and credit cards completely just because you are on your first blended family holidays and want to please everyone. Effective financial planning is another secret to a stress-free vacation.
First, decide what is the budget for your upcoming holiday. Then consider how much you are to spend on transportation, accommodation, food, and entertainment. Precalculate the daily cash sum you may use for miscellaneous needs such as souvenirs, ice cream, or water. Agree with your partner on how you should react when your kids’ wishes and whims go over your budget. Define the way that will help to deal with the situation positively both for your wallet and your children’s mood. Review blended families tips on a family budget to find the ideas that may help you.
https://youtu.be/jfXxenGSaps
- Concentrate on Strengthening Bonds
No matter what hurdles you are through, how you fail to visit all places from your travel list, and what financial challenges you may face after your vacation, after all, these are not your primary concerns. Instead, you should care about the reason you are on the holiday with your blended family. You have decided to travel together to know each other better, get closer with your step-kids, open up to your children, embrace friendliness in your family, and grow stronger and better when you are together. Prioritize this when making any decisions and spending time with your family on vacations and you will be more than pleased with the results.
